Consumer purchasing decisions have grown in sophistication over the years due to technological advancements. In the past, a consumer would travel to a store and review an item in person before buying the item. Consumers today purchase an enormous amount of items online over computer networks such as the Internet. However, a drawback to purchasing items online is that the consumer does not have the luxury of evaluating the item in person to determine the item's quality, features, and overall “look and feel.” As such, the consumer turns to online item reviews written by other consumers and item review specialists to guide their purchasing decisions, which also includes service-oriented items such as restaurants, events, activities, etc. In short, online reviews play a powerful role during a consumer's purchasing decisions.
Many times an online review system may show an item review that is negatively biased. The negative bias may be in the form of a “low star rating” or may include details such as “the food was bad.” Unfortunately, the consumer may not research other online reviews to gain a more knowledgeable understanding of the item and, in turn, may not purchase an item or visit an establishment based upon the negatively biased item review.